Rustenburg- Businesses will operate undisrupted in Cape Town on March 20 during the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) national shutdown, mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said.
Speaking on his Twitter page, Hill-Lewis said in Cape Town it would be business as usual on March 20.
“Let me say in Cape Town it’s going to be business as usual. We will do what it takes to make sure that kids get to school on time and workers can get to work and our economy can keep running, to those of you who think it is a good idea to try and organise a national shutdown, our economy is already brought to its knees by load shedding, corruption and so much else.
“What you are doing is hurting our economy, hurting businesses, hurting workers even more, exactly the opposite of what you claim to stand for. Do not be stupid, do not organise a national shutdown and do not try that nonsense in Cape Town. Here we are building for the future, we are moving forward. We are getting people into work and out of poverty. We do not have time for a national shutdown and we will make sure it does not happen here,” he said in a minute-long clip.
The Economic Freedom Fighters called for a national shutdown on March 20, in protest against increased load shedding and for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign.
The EFF want Ramaphosa to resign amid the rising cost of living, fuel prices, load shedding, crime, and other social ills bedevilling the country.
On its social media platforms, the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) said it would join the EFF and other progressive organisations for a national shutdown on March 20.
“The call for a shutdown resonates with the PAC declaration that the ‘ANC is a government of national disaster’,” the PAC said on Twitter.
Others set to join the EFF on the march are the United Democratic Movement (UDM) and the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu).
IOL